Turner's Cross is the venue for the first of the Sports Direct FAI Cup semi-finals, with Cork City looking to upset St Patrick's Athletic and book a place in a first decider since 2018.
This evening's game passed a pitch inspection this morning and will go ahead.
It will be the second meeting between the sides in 11 days, with Pat's thumping their Munster opponents 4-0 in the league at Richmond Park.
Despite bringing their best form of the season - one defeat in seven games - to Inchicore, City were way off their recent levels.
Since then, they slipped to a 2-1 defeat in Galway.
Relegation from the Premier Division could be confirmed if Waterford FC defeat Drogheda United on Sunday.
Cup success, in more ways than one, will salvage Cork's season.
Head down to your local bookie and the Rebels are a general 9-1 to lift the trophy on 9 November.
Those odds aren't surprising, but neither are they tempting with Shamrock Rovers their most likely opponents at the Aviva should Ger Nash's side get the better of Pat's.
Talk of a planned protest by Cork fans against the club's ownership could create headlines in advance of the game.
Dermot Usher's stewardship is coming under increasing scrutiny. Fans, quite simply, are not happy at the prospect of another relegation and how, in the words of the Cork City Supporters Groups, "the decline has only accelerated" since Usher took over.
A far cry from just a decade ago when Cork were winning leagues and contesting cup finals.
"Friday night's protest is not against the players," the statement said.
"They have had our full backing all season and will continue to have it. This protest is aimed squarely at the owner and the direction he is taking our club.
Statement from Cork City supporter groups today on their reasons for protest👇#CCFC84 pic.twitter.com/2kZG4RezRP
— EightyFour___ (@Eightyfour____) October 1, 2025
"We have had multiple managers in a short space of time, no clear vision, and constant instability.
"The club now charges the highest ticket prices in the league, while treating supporters with disdain and pushing us further and further away from the club we built.
"The connection is gone, the soul is slipping away, and Cork City is being dragged towards becoming nothing more than a yo-yo club bouncing between divisions.
"That is not good enough. Not for our history. Not for our city. Not for our fans."
Can the players on the pitch lighten the mood?
In a one-off game, anything can happen, and Kerry FC proved that in the quarter-finals.
At times this season, Cork have proven to be a tough nut to crack on their home pitch. Just recently, they fought back to draw 1-1 against Shamrock Rovers at the Cross.
Earlier in the campaign, they held tonight's opponents scoreless at the same venue.
Nash's arrival as manager in May did not immediately bring about an upturn, but results have improved in the last couple of months, fuelling hope that Cork could make a great escape.
That reverse against St Pat's and then losing away to Galway has now extinguished any hope.
Nash, who previously had coaching roles at Ipswich Town, Aston Villa and the FAI, is hoping a packed house at Turner's Cross, where they've won three and drawn one of the last four games, can inspire his side against Stephen Kenny's men.
"Since the window closed we've been in good form here," he said at a semi-final media day in Bishopstown.
"The fans have been a huge part of that and the synergy between them and the players has been really strong.
"It has really helped us, really helped the young players, and hopefully we can feed off that. I'm really excited about the game.
"The fans have been incredible, really passionate about their football club. We are desperate to put on a performance for them and get the right result on Friday night."
On how to achieve the latter, he added: "I believe we have players that can hurt the opposition and stop their attacking threat.
"We have a chance to create something special on this FAI Cup run. We travelled up to Donegal (against Finn Harps in the quarter-final) and put in a performance there and had a late winner against Waterford in front of our fans at the Shed end. We want to keep those moments going."
As for St Pat's, winning the cup may represent their only avenue into European football next season. They currently sit fifth in the Premier Division table and last week Sligo Rovers ended their eight-match unbeaten run in the league.
Watching on at the Showgrounds was Ger Nash.
It's not a criticism to say that Pat's have somewhat underperformed; the expectation was that they would push Shamrock Rovers hard for the title. A somewhat sluggish start to the campaign had them on the back foot and while they found a greater consistency during and August and September, you can't say they impressed to any great degree.
Against Sligo on Saturday last, they huffed and puffed quite a bit in their pursuit of a leveller.
Stephen Kenny was brought to Inchicore to win league titles. The fans will expect a more sustained push for the ultimate prize in 2026.
For now, winning the cup will do and with it entry into the Europa League qualifiers next summer.
Stephen Kenny will manage his 1000th game in club football when St Pat's travel to Cork City for Friday night's Sports Direct FAI Cup semi-final against Cork City, live on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/Gr5X7g9pMr
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 30, 2025
Kenny heads to Cork where he will mark 1,000 club games as a manager. It all began at Longford Town and in between was that spell as Republic of Ireland boss.
Now the Tallaght native goes in search of a fourth FAI Cup after leading Derry City to glory in 2006 and then Dundalk (2015, 2018).
"To get to the final is very special for all the supporters of all the clubs in the communities, the players and their families, and extended families," Kenny told RTÉ Sport.
"It can be quite an incredible occasion really to come out the right side, but we're not in the final so we can't discuss that.
"Turner's Cross is always a very tough venue and we'll have to earn it the hard way.
"We've had a tough cup draw. We've had to beat Shelbourne, the league champions. Then we had to beat Galway, who are always tough opponents. We've played Cork four times in the league but the cup is different. We've got to get ourselves right and make sure we're absolutely ready to put in a performance."
